An Oakland man who allegedly imprisoned and raped an elderly friend of his mother’s in a Belmont hotel will represent himself at trial, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said.
Ian Kroe, 55, of Oakland, has requested a new defense attorney, or to represent himself should he not receive one, three times, Wagstaffe said.
After a five-hour court hearing, the request was granted to represent himself on 33 felony charges, including elder abuse, elder theft, false imprisonment, rape, sodomy and oral copulation. It was previously denied twice.
The judge found him to be of sound mind and competent enough to stand for himself, though he warned Kroe the decision was “foolish,” Wagstaffe said.
Kroe allegedly struck up a friendship with the victim — a lifetime friend of his mother — moving from Minnesota to be closer to her after his mother’s death. He allegedly drained her accounts, virtually imprisoned her in the Belmont Hyatt Hotel for over a year and raped her numerous times.
In August 2022, after contacting a friend in New Mexico, the police located the victim in severe medical distress at the Hyatt Hotel.
Kroe’s request for a continuance on the trial, which was set to begin Oct. 11, was granted.
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